Introducing Mandala Madness CAL

Mandala Madness CAL 2016

When Kimberly Slifer of the Official CCC Social Group on face book asked me to design a blanket/afghan for a CAL (crochet a-long) project for next year, I was, honoured, excited, chuffed to bits…. you get the idea!

The ideas that went spinning through my head were crazy.
But I knew it had to be something very special, and so the idea of a HUGE Mandala started to form in my mind. As I started to work on the design I kept saying to myself “this is madness”… and so the name… Mandala Madness 🙂

And after the sneaky peek we showed you all earlier in December I have just been getting more and more excited, like a four year old waiting to go see Santa.

♥ So what exactly is a Mandala?

The easiest way to understand a Mandala is to think of it as a symbolic representation of the universe, often sacred, based on a circle.
The word “Mandala” is from the ancient Sanskrit language. Loosely translated to mean “circle,” a Mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

Creating a group Mandala is a unifying experience in which people can express themselves individually within a unified structure.

There are many uses for a Mandala.
The design of the Mandala is supposed to be visually appealing so as to absorb the mind in such a way that irritating thoughts are unable to get through, like a form of meditation allowing the busy mind to take a break while the creative mind is allowed to run free.

And so it seemed to me the perfect project for us all to join together and share our passion for our amazing craft.

♥ IMPORTANT: Please, be aware that all my patterns (free or paid) are protected by copyright. This pattern belongs to me, Helen Shrimpton, and I retain all rights to it.You are not allowed to copy, reproduce, redistribute, sell or edit them in part or as a whole. You are welcome to sell your finished items made by my patterns, but you cannot use my pictures to promote them. Please, always credit me as the designer of these patterns. You are not allowed to share pdf-files created from my posts with anyone. If you would like more people to join my CAL – please, share a link to my blog with them. You can check my Terms of Use for more details. Alternatively contact me using the Contact tab at the top of this page.

This project will give you a circular blanket.
There are 18 parts.
The CAL ran from Thursday 17th March to Thursday 14th July 2016.Though the cal is now finished, there are still many people enjoying the madness, so please ask for any help you need, and join the fun on the Facebook group.

There is loads of texture, some new stitches to learn, and this is definitely a project for colour!

You can either follow the colours I have used or take your Mandala Madness in what ever direction you could dream of.
You will have 4… yes 4 options to follow the pattern.

♥ You can follow the pattern on my blog.♥ Download a full photo tutorial (pdf).♥ Download a written pattern (pdf) with just a small photo.♥ Follow the amazing videos by the wonderful Esther Dijkstra from itsallinanutshell.com

The pattern is being translated by an amazing group of ladies from theCAL – Crochet A Long group on facebook and will be translated in many different languages.

♥ What will you need?

Hold on and we will get there… first some information about what I used and what is available for you to follow along with.

The CAL is being sponsored by Scheepjes and there are 3 packs available to buy.
The main stores to order from are Deramores, Paradise Fibres and Wool Warehouse, more about that later……..

With the cal now finished the main place that will continue to hold stock for all of the yarn packs is my store with Deramores.

♥ About the yarns.

Scheepjes Merino Soft

Firstly the beautifully soft and smooth Scheepjes Merino Soft which is a double knit weight yarn and comes in 50gram balls with a centre pull and a length of approx 105 meters. This yarn is a joy to work with, it is a loose twist yarn that gives a beautiful drape when finished.

I found the best technique for joining a new ball of yarn is what I call the “Text Book Join“.
Simply work over the new yarn for a few stitches, as you make a new stitch pick up the new yarn at the base of the stitch and continue to work over the old yarn for a few stitches, and either weave in the ends as you go or sew them in later.

Next we have the new Scheepjes Colour Crafter yarn, again this is a double knitting weight yarn but is 100% Premium Acrylic.
Scheepjes recommend washing on a cool wash.
It is soft and so easy to work with.
Colour Crafter comes in 100gram balls with a length of approx 300 meters.
For joining a new ball of yarn you can use either the “Magic Knot“, “Russian Join” or the standard “Text Book Join”.

For my Purple Passion Mandala Madness I used a 4.5mm Clover Amour hook, as I wanted a lighter feel to this one, but you may well prefer a 4mm hook.

Scheepjes Stonewashed XL

And finally Big Earth Momma Mandala Madness, Scheepjes Stonewashed XL, and this is one big and heavy Momma!!!
Stonewashed XL comes in 50gram balls with a centre pull and a length of approx 75 meters. It is a 70% Cotton, 30% Acrylic yarn.
Scheepjes recommend washing on a cool to warm wash and this can be tumble dried.
For joining a new ball of yarn you can use either the “Magic Knot”, “Russian Join” or the standard “Text Book Join”.

♥ Yarn Packs

Here is a chart giving all the details, please be aware when using multiple colours you will need extra yarn, this is why I have given the amount used and also the amount in the packs.

All these yarns are available from Paradise Fibres, Wool Warehouse and Deramores.
You can find the direct links for the colour packs below.

As soon as the packs are available I will let you all know, this is the reason for the delay in starting the CAL as Scheepjes have had to make lots of luscious yarn, to make sure no one is disappointed, and doesn’t get their yarn in time to start with us all.

Please note: If you get a generic page when clicking on one of the links, select the relevant country in the top left-hand corner of the Deramores website (US/UK), then come back to my site and click on the link again. I receive a small commission and it costs you nothing 🙂

For those of you going in your own direction, you will need approximately

♥ Double Knitting weight 4800 meters / 5250 yards

♥ Worsted/Aran weight 6300 meters / 6890 yards

Please allow for colour changes and get more rather than less…. it’s always better to have a little left over than run out and not be able to get the same dye lot or even for the colour to have been discontinued…yes that makes ya so mad…right!

♥ Resources

♥ Tutorials ~ The patterns of each part will be published here, on my blog, every Thursday evening at 7pm approx UK time (UTC), this is to allow everyone around the world some weekend crochet time.♥ Video Tutorials ~ There will also be links to the video’s by the amazing Esther Dijkstra from itsallinanutshell.com, and the various translations.♥ Printing/PDF ~ You will find a choice of downloads at the bottom of each weekly part post on my blog. You will have the choice of a full photo tutorial or a simple written pattern.♥ Newsletter. If you haven’t done this yet, be sure to subscribe to my Newsletter so that you don’t miss a single step of this CAL.♥ Ravelry. Please, add this CAL to your Ravelry queue.♥ Facebook. Be sure to check out and join Official CCC Social Group which will host the Mandala Madness Cal 2016, and where you will always find friendly, helpful advice to keep you going . Don’t forget to like my face book page for information about the CAL and other projects I am working on.♥ Translations. I am thrilled to announce that my CAL will be translated into ten different languages, by an amazing team of ladies from the CAL – Crochet A Long group on facebook

♥ Stitch Abbreviations and Special Stitches

US standard abbreviations are used in this pattern.
An abbreviation chart is included on the front page of each part of the CAL.
Also there will be detailed instructions about how to make special stitches given in the pattern for each round.

♥ Difficulty

I encourage anyone of any level of experience to try this project.
Yes there are some tricky bits, but there are also lots of simple bits too…. in fact really it is all just a matter of perspective. If you have done something before or understand how it is done then it seems easy. If you have never tried something it may seem hard…… but there is so much help and support, I know that no matter what your experience level this is something you can do because you have an amazing circle of people to help you.

I am looking forward to this international project and the amazing energy the crochet community has to share.

174 Comments

Where is the written pattern for the Square Up? Also, is there a written pattern for the Where is the pattern for the Square Up for the Mandala Madness? Also, is there a pattern for the Black & White Mandala?
Thank you.

Hi Helen, I love your design and have nearly finished my first one with dk wool for my mums birthday present but as I’m working I’m thinking how lovely it would be as a summer blanket in lace weight! Have you any idea how big this would turn out? I plan on using a 2mm hook. Thank you x

I really don’t expect you to have any clue what the answer is to this question but here goes: I plan to do this with a totally different size yarn. It’s not even available with a label so I’ve had to measure it myself. Ninety grams is about 300 yards. I’ll use a 3.5 mm crochet hook. So, here’s the question, any clue how I figure out how much yarn I’ll need? It’s only $1.25/hank but thinking about getting 20, 30, 40 hanks starts running into money for someone with a very limited budget. I’m thinking about doing it in either one color or two close tone colors. Thanks for any thoughts you may have about this.

I have never done anything like this before but I am very interested in this project!! I was hoping to get some details on pricing and what kind of yarn set I would need to make the mandala madness part 10 or is it called the big Earth Momma I’m a little confused on That!

Hi there, I am going to make this to match my bedroom! I am so excited. I plan to use 3 or 4 colors, and use it as a throw for across my bed so I don’t have to find a blanket set to match my accent wall. But, is there somewhere y’all can recommend to buy the colors I need at an affordable price? It would be crazy expensive to go to the craft store for it, and I noticed to buy one of the color combos offered is pretty affordable considering the amount. But like I said I want to match my room which is a smokey grey with a red-purple accent wall. I really appreciate any help y’all can give.

Hi! You do wonderful work and thank you for sharing it with the world. I have looked online and seen a few color ideas to use with your pattern. Do you have any pics that people have sent with color ideas? I am looking to make this afghan for my sister in law. Any help is appreciated.

I love this pattern and am so excited to start it. I’m planning on doing the whole blanket in the same yarn (a self-striping yarn from Ice Yarns). Is it easy to transition between the rows without tying off? I really dislike weaving in ends, and avoid it whenever I can.

Hi Helen, suffering a bit of brain fog! In round 39 you say join in the 6th sc, then in the chain space, do you mean the 6th sc ignoring the spaces? Or just the 6th chain? As I say just can’t get my head around it! Loving the piece you’re very talented!

we all get brain fog at times 🙂
You may find it easier to count backwards from where you need to make the 1st shell, or watch the video by Esther, the link is in the blog post for part 5,just skip along towards the end until you get to round 39, Esther explainsexactly where you need to start.
have fun 🙂

If you scroll down the intro post you will see a table of all the yarn packs, with the colours and amounts used, so that will show you the different options of how many colours to use, or go on to Ravelry and look at the projects, and you can see lots of different colour ways 🙂

I would like to do this beautiful beautiful blanket in my own choice of colors. I’m not sure the best way to do that, but I was thinking I could color map it and plan it out. Do you happen to have a line drawing of the pattern or something I could use to do that? Not even sure how to proceed. Thanks for any guidance you can give me.

Of course…. on each part you will find DOWNLOADS, there is a photo tutorial and also a written pattern (without all the photos), simply click the one you want and it will download, then open the pdf and you can select print 🙂

Thanks for such a fantastic pattern. I can’t wait to start. Is year I am attempting 2 Mandela Madness!!! One in 8ply multi colour and one for for Gran in some repurposed wool that was a originally a floor length coat. Would Patons Jet 12ply wool be suitable for this project? Thanks again.

Wow! Thanks for the super quick reply. I only have limited yarn as I’m using what was formally a knitted floor length coat( from 30 years ago,) and the wool is now discontinued. I’ll finish up when eve the wool runs out. Thanks again

So difficult to say, depends on how many colours you will be using and your tension, but assume you will need less than the Double knit one and it will be smaller, maybe 4feet or less across, and anything from 3000 to 4000 metres of yarn 🙂

In the picture for the Merino Soft yarn, you show 15 balls, yet only list 14 colors. I want to double check before I order everything if the pattern does use only 14 colors, or if it uses 15. If 15, what is the fifteenth color? It looks like the second row from the top, the two on the left, are similar, just not sure which is the Gauguin and what the other color is. Thanks!

I have searched for quite awhile for that”perfect” mandala pattern that speaks to me. I chose you! I will start your pattern today. The finished product will be a Christmas gift. Thank you for making this possible!

Thank you for such a wonderful pattern and so much inspiration on your Ralvery page. I am very new to crocheting having just started in July of this year. I’ve just ordered my colors for your pattern and am expecting them in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to start!

Making doilies is my passion at the moment!1 I just found your site and i am excited!! Could this Mandala be made with size 10 thread? I love this pattern and would like to use it for a wall hanging!! Would you recommend this or not? Are you planning another Mandala CAL Oh I sure hope so!! Thank you!!

Hi thank you for such a beautiful project. I am really enjoying this except for one thing i cannot get my 1st (us) tr stitche neat i always end up with a baggy joining.stitch. can you give me any idea what i am doing wrong please. Thank you

oooo thanks you soooooo much for a lot of pattern i try today it’s simple i finish the party one 🙂 but same the cal it’s finish i can publish on my blog ? i love mandala sorry my english is too bad i hope to understand ^^

Hi 🙂 This project is such an amazing idea and what a wonderful way to bring crocheters all over the world together! I was considering making my mandala as a rug (with floor grippers, so not to slip!) – I wondered what your opinion of this would be? If you think it is suitable or not?

Many thanks for all your hard work on the pattern and for being such an inspiration x

I just wanted to thank you for this fantastic project. I am currently on week 11 and I have learned so very much. You have a real gift for patterns and each and every line of instruction has been flawless. Thanks for allowing this beginner to grow.

I just stumbled onto your site and really want to take on the Mandala Madness project! It looks amazing and just the kind of thing I’ve been looking for.
I wanted to do it in Colour Crafter, but using the brighter Merino Soft colour scheme. I have noticed that there are more colours in the Merino Soft pack than the CC one. So I was wondering if I would get similar results if I just matched my colours to the Merino ones or if there is anything else I need to take into consideration (apart from the ball sizes).

Just found your cal mid June I’ve been downloading the pattern to save for later. Must finish some wips before starting anything more, but I’m hoping to be able to use some of my yarn stash on this and have it done for the county fair in late March. When will segment for July 7th be available?

My question is about the possibility of an addendum at the end to allow for squaring off (such as has been done for ‘Sophie’)? I am loving this so far! I’m using a US K/6.5mm hook with all of my versions because I like a looser lacier style. I’m using Bernat Baby Sport for one, YarnBee Soft Secret (similar to Caron Simply Soft) for the other. It will be quite interesting to see just how large these will turn out to be in the end. 🙂

I will not be changing the shape of the Mandala…. mandalas are round/circular and the whole idea of this design is about the circle and what it represents…BUT if you want to square it off then you are welcome to add to it…however with the yarn and hook size you are using your mandala will be well over 7 feet across, so squared up it would be HUGE 🙂

Eeek! Ive been bitten by the Mandala bug! Ive started your Radiance blanket and tripped across this CAL. I’ve ordered my yarn (Stylecraft Special DK) and now I am anxiously awaiting its delivery. Looks like I’ll be bringing up the rear on this CAL, but Im sure I will have fun! 🙂

Hi dear Helen. I am very excited for your new project Mandala madness, but I thin I might need your advise for colour combination. You see, I wold like to use Icelandic light wool, Léttlopi from Istex.is. http://www.istex.is/islenska/vorur/prjonaband/lettlopi/ And here I am a bit stuck. I love those natural colours, basic earth tones, wit brighter colours to for all the details. I am very precise are both matching and have contrast. where the pttern is a mystery from time to time. I would so like if you could give me some advise on the colour combination. I you can spare some time, it would be so much appreciated. I you dont, I fully understand. Best regard an thank you for your good work. Best regards, HelgaJD

If you are on facebook I have added a chart for the yarn quantities used, so you can see how many meters (rounded up to full balls) I used of each colour…then you can work out how many colours you want to use, and how much you will need.
here is a link https://www.facebook.com/crystalsandcrochet/

Woolwarehouse have some in stock…. Deramores are waiting on a huge delivery, should be this week, and Paradise fibres have the yarn in stock, and are meant to be doing packs, but I can’t find them listed!

Helen,
This is the first CAL I have ever participated in, and I am VERY excited. I have two questions:
(1) Should I be working out my gauge ahead of time? If so, what pattern should I use, and how many stitches per inch am I looking for?
(2) Your middle size yarn and hook listing, above, shows the mm size to be 4.5 mm. However, the UK and US sizes are unchanged from the finer size yarn, to the left. I always work with mm, not the other numbers, but just am pointing this out, in case you had meant to change the other hook sizes also.
Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) for sharing your artistic talent with all of us, so that we can make beautiful Mandalas too!!! Stephanie

Hi 🙂
At the end of part 1 I give the sizes, so you will be able to check your gauge then.
I work in mm for hook size too, the merino soft was done with 4mm, colour crafter with 4.5mm, they are both double knitting, but I wanted the colour crafter one slightly looser, you could use a 4mm or 4.5mm with either, the finished size shows the slight size difference with using the slightly bigger hook.
and you are very welcome 🙂

Since we will be purchasing a lot of yarn at one time, are any of the stores going to give us a lower price than it would be if we bought them all separately? I ask because I am on a fixed income. I was looking at the yarn at Paradise Fibers and it will get pretty expensive to buy all that yarn in one pack if the prices are kept the same. I would love to do this mandala in one of the yarns shown here.

I have never ordered the yarn packs that everyone is mentioning…will worsted weight Red Heart or I Love This Yarn work? Or would Caron Simply Soft? I’m currently doing Sophie’s Universe and am veeeery excited about starting this CAL in March. 🙂

I have a question in the picture of the Merino Soft yarns there are 15 different colors but the color list is only for 14. The one I can’t figure out is between the Rothiko and Gaugin . Did you just not use that one after all?

Hi Helen,
I’ve got my yarn, stonewashed XL pack, I’m ready to go!
I have Motor Neuron Disease and I find CAL’s really therapeutic. Yours sounds wonderful, and I can’t wait to ‘loose myself’ in it and get a bit of healing! I love your ethos
Thank you for giving so many people the chance to create something to treasure.
Karen xxx

Another question… working on assembling my colors and want to use a variegated yarn as one of them. How will your written pattern be written to indicate color changes? With the 14 colors or the 9 colors? Will it be clear when to change colors? Is there one of the colors that goes throughout that I can match up with my variegated? (i.e. which one of your colors carries throughout and ties it all together). I did the Sophie afghan last year but I have not done one of your patterns, so just trying to be clear as I figure out which colors will be in my afghan this year. Thanks! I am looking forward to it.

Each part will have a chart with it for the colours used per round, so you will know where I changed colour, there is not really 1 colour that ties it together, so difficult to explain, but if you want to have a fair bit of the variegated then, you will need to pop it in where you feel is right. Sorry I know that sounds vague but it really is hard to say…you will understand once you see the pattern grow 🙂

Hi, I live in Malta. I will be doing CAL with you, hopefully!! Wanted to ask is it possible to use other yarn, because in order for me to get the kit in Malta from abroad it will cost me quite a lot in Transportation only. Thanks

Looking at the photo with the merino soft yarn, you have 15 colors in the basket but only 14 listed… is this just a photo error, or should there be 15 colors. Like someone else, I did the Sophie in all kinds of fun colors, so I am debating this one… I loved the fun colors but maybe doing something different would be good too.

I just spent 3 days picking the perfect colors in hayfield chunky and just noticed the large blanket is done in worsted! Would chunky work with a bigger hook? Or should I start looking at worsted colors? Thank you

I have ordered my yarn ready for the CAL!!!! So excited. I went for the Merino Soft option and used my gift vouchers that I received for my birthday today. What a wonderful present, I can’t wait to get started now!

I’m really looking forward to this new CAL! It looks like it is going to be fun! I have a question about color. I did Sophie’s Universe and used lots of colors, but also appreciated the single color ones and thought I might try that for yours. Do you think that will work, or is there a lot of overlay that would get lost if there isn’t any contrast?

Hi Amber,
It will be lots of fun, there is ooooodles of texture and some overlay.
I love lots of colour but feel the texture will still show in just one colour, or maybe 1 main colour and a 2nd colour for highlight 🙂
Hope that helps

Hi, I also wanted to use a more simple color palette. What would you suggest for quantities for a main color with 1 or 2 accent colors. Should the accent colors have a high contrast to the main color or could they be a few shades different from the main color? Thanks for your help.

You could easily use 1 main colour and have 1 or 2 accent colours of a lighter or darker tone or even have 2 or 3 colours of the same depth.
There really are no limits to how you can work this. As for amounts, it really depends on how much of the accent colours you are going to use… but take the colour crafter one.. I used 4 shades of purple/violet and 4 accent colours… so you could go with 3600 meters of your main colour and then just 1200 for your accent, or 600 of each if you are going to use 2 colours. But if you are going to use a yarn you use often, then having extra won’t hurt and you can always add it to your stash 🙂

HI Kim
I have not used Redheart 4 ply, I think it is thinner than a Double Knit, so go with the amounts needed for that and you will have plenty… approx 4300 to 4800 meters, depending on how many colours you are using, hope that helps 🙂

Deramores have stock, woolwarehouse are out of stock at the moment, I will let everyone know when they packs are available there. But if deramores are out of stock when you add to cart, they will have more in a few days so just try again then 🙂